Edinburg approves regulations for speed humps

Wednesday

Neighborhoods with concerns about speeders will now be able to request “speed humps” from the city.

Specifications for the construction and placement of were adopted last week by the Edinburg City Council.

“Speed humps are an effective and appropriate device for safely reducing vehicle speeds on certain types of streets when installed with the provisions of this policy,” stated Tomas D. Reyna, interim director of public works, in his recommendation to the council.

Neighborhoods that wish to be considered for speed humps will have to submit a petition to the city showing that a minimum of two-thirds of the households on the street support its installation. The street must have a speed limit of 30 mph and there must be no more than one moving lane of traffic in each direction. Traffic volume must be more than 200 vehicles per day, among other requirements.

A determination of eligibility will be made based on a traffic engineering study conducted by the city. The requestors will be required to pay a $35 processing fee.

The cost for the speed hump installation (including signs, pavement markings and, if necessary, special design features) may be shared between the city and residents according to how much the measured speed on the street exceeds the city’s speed criteria.

If the average speed of the 30 mph zone is determined to be 49 mph or greater, there will be no cost sharing, while 39-40 mph will require 33 percent cost sharing, 37-39 mph 67 percent and 35-36 mph 100 percent.

Commissioners Gene Espinoza and Noe Garza expressed concern about the cost-sharing requirements, but was assured by city staff that requests could be evaluated on a case-by-case basis to determine the neighborhood’s ability to contribute.

Reyna said the city selected by speed hump design over the speed bumps that some other cities are using because of concerns about vehicle damage, which he said would be minimized by the city’s design.

“In order for speed hump installations to be effective, they should be located selectively in accordance with the defined engineering criteria for the purpose of improving documented speeding problems,” Reyna stated. Speed humps are “not a guarantee that the street is a safe place for children to play,” he added.

After discussion, the council voted unanimously for the speed hump ordinance.